1. Technical Field
Aspects of illustrative embodiments relate to a system, device method and program for network management and, in particular, to techniques for setting parameters necessary for using functions available via a network.
2. Related Art
In order to use a network device (hereinafter simply referred to as a “device”) by connecting the device to a network, various parameters have to be set properly. Some of the parameters can be automatically set according to a prescribed signal protocol, without the need for direct input (manual input) by a user. Specifically, device identification information (e.g. IP address) on a network can be delivered from a server on the network (e.g. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server) and set as the identification information of the device itself.
However, presently, few DHCP servers operate to set automatically all the parameters necessary for using functions available via a network (hereinafter referred to as “usage parameters”), and thus parameters that can not be set automatically have to be set by each user by manual.
In recent years, network management programs capable of realizing a process for allowing a device on a network to set the usage parameters of another device newly connected to the network by means of remote control (the so-called “remote setup”) have come into wide use. By such network management programs, the setting of the usage parameters is facilitated even for devices (printers, etc.) having no operating panel for receiving various operations by the user.
However, even with such network management programs, the users are required to carry out the input operation while correctly recognizing parameters to be inputted. Therefore, the setting of the usage parameters is still not easy for users without sufficient knowledge of the parameter settings.
Recently, in order to facilitate the tasks of inputting the usage parameters, techniques have been proposed for obtaining communication data circulating on a network, identifying a parameter (network address) to be set to the device by analyzing the obtained communication data, and reporting (displaying) the parameter as a candidate for the setting (and also setting the parameter to the device) (e.g. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2000-194513). Since such a technique is capable of finding and reporting candidates for the parameters to be set to the device, the user can input and set the parameters properly by performing a simple operation for inputting the parameters based on the reported candidates.
However, while the above patent document discloses a technique for identifying information (network addresses) regarding the source and destination of communication data by analyzing the communication data and reporting the identified information, no technique for identifying other parameters is described nor suggested in the patent document.
Since various functions have become available via networks in recent years, it is desirable that parameters necessary for using such functions (available via a network) can be inputted and set to a device with ease.